7 of 10 sell all items on QVC

Entrepreneurs take TV time in stride

Ann Merlini, who flew 1,000 miles to pitch a travel comfort pack on a nationally televised show broadcast from Navy Pier on Friday, was on cloud nine.

The Gilford, N.H., entrepreneur's 1,100 packs sold out on the Decade of Discoveries tour aired live by QVC, a home shopping program that reaches 87 million households across the country.

"I am thrilled, to say the least," said Merlini, who less than an hour after the show aired was celebrating with her sister who flew in from Maryland and two area friends.

But Merlini said she didn't know if she had used all her allotted time to sell PlaneComfort, a multiuse travel pack that can double as a pillow with a blanket packed inside.

"I was too scared to look at the monitors," she explained.

In all, seven of the 10 small-business entrepreneurs sold out of all their products Friday, according to QVC officials, who said the Chicago stop was the most successful so far in their 10-week tour that began July 8. The network is putting 10 entrepreneurs on the air each week in a tour of 10 cities.

The results for Chicagoan Marc Kopoian, who was selling a pet-care kit, weren't what he had hoped. QVC officials said he sold 71 percent of his 1,800 kits during his eight minutes.

"I wish I could go on again," he said.

But Kopoian was philosophical about not selling all of the kits. "Entrepreneurs have to have resiliency, be positive and embrace the things that happen even if there are momentary disappointments," he said.